Musical stand



June 3, 1941. A G, JACOBSON 2,244,160

MUSICAL STAND Filed March 25, 1940 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL STAND Andrew G. Jacobson, Los Gatos, Calif.

Application March 25, 1940, Serial No. 325,723

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a stand or base adapted to contain a music box or other music producing instrument, and upon which may rest a cake or other confection.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a concealed mounting for a music box under a confection so that when the confection is served at the table, music will be produced and will appear to emanate therefrom. Another object is to provide a stand which by its form and construction acts as a sounding board to increase the volume of music sound produced by the music box within it. Other objects are to provide a stand which has the least possible height or thickness and therefore will not raise the confection unduly above the table top; and to provide a stand which will protect the delicate mechanism of the music box from damage, and which can be used repeatedly. Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which should be read with the understanding that changes, within the limits of the claims hereto appended, may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the stand with a portion of the cover broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of :f

Fig. 1.

The body of the stand is best constructed as a flat block or plate of suitable shape, herein shown as circular. I prefer to use wood as the material for the stand on account of its cheapness and .3?

sound conducting qualities, although other materials may be used.

The block or disk from which the stand is made is shown at 3 in the drawing and has a recess 4 in its upper surface, said recess having a depth 1 slightly less than the thickness of the block 3,

thereby leaving a thin layer 5 of the material of the block to serve as a bottom for the recess.

A small music box 6 of suitable type is placed within the recess 4 and secured to the bottom 1 spring driven music box mechanism. The spring is wound by a removable key 8 which may be inserted through an aperture 9 in the bottom of the recess 4 and engaged with the winding stem, not shown, of the music box. A movable lever 10 projects from one side of the music box, and by movement up and down controls the stop and start of the mechanism therein.

The block 3 is provided with a slot ll extending downwardly from the upper surface and outwardly from the recess 4 to the outer edge of the block to permit the control lever Hi to extend outwardly to an accessible position. The block is also provided with other slots l2 extending downwardly from its upper surface and outwardly from the recess 4 to the outer periphery, and said slots I2 are of sufficient size to act as channels to conduct the sound from the music box 6 outwardly. The thin bottom 5 of the recess 4 upon which the music box 6 rests acts as a sounding board and transmits the musical vibrations to the body material of the block 3. I prefer to provide other recesses l3 in the top of the block, of about the same depth as the recess 4. These additional recesses l3 reduce the weight of the block and increase its sound conducting quality.

A thin cover l4 of suitable material, preferably cardboard, is secured to the top of the block 3 either by glue or other suitable means and covers the recesses and the slots therein. The cover l4 prevents food material from the confection supported upon the stand from entering the re cesses and slots, and may be used for advertising by printing a suitable inscription thereon.

In usin the stand it is intended that the concealed mechanism will first be wound by means of the key 8 and said key then removed. A paper or cloth doily, indicated at IS in Fig. 2, is then placed over the stand, and the confection Iii, which may be a cake, pie, frozen pudding, or the like, is placed upon the doily IS. The whole assembly is then carried to the table and placed thereon. Immediately before cutting or serving the confection, the server moves the control lever Hi to start the mechanism of the music box and cause it to play its music. The doily I5, which is preferably of larger diameter than the stand 3, serves to conceal said stand and to prevent its nature from being known to the assembled people until the music is heard.

The recess 4 should be somewhat greater in diameter than the music box 6, as shown, in order to provide the best sounding board effect for its thin bottom 5. The position of said recess in the block 3 is immaterial, and depends principally on the length of the control lever III, which must extend outwardly slightly beyond the edge of the block in order to be accessible. The block 3 should be just thick enough to enable the cover M to clear the top of the music box 6.

I claim:

1. A stand for the described purpose comprising a flat body of solid material having greater width than height, said body having a recess formed in its upper surface, the material of the body extending across beneath said recess to form a thin bottom therefor, sound producing mechanism positioned within said recess and secured to the bottom thereof, and said body having a channel extending from said recess to its outer edge.

2. A stand for the described purpose comprising a flat body of solid material having greater Width than height, said body having a recess formed in its upper surface, the material of the body extending across beneath said recess to form a thin bottom therefor, sound producing mechanism positioned within said recess and secured to the bottom thereof, and a flat cover member secured to the top of said body and covering said recess.

3. A stand for the described purpose comprising a flat body of solid material having greater width than height, said body having a recess formed in its upper surface, the material of the body extending across beneath said recess to form a thin bottom therefor, sound producing mechanism positioned within said recess and secured to the bottom thereof, said body having grooves in its upper surface extending from said recess to its outer edge, and a cover member secured to the upper surface of said body covering said recess and said grooves.

4. A stand for the described purpose comprising a flat body of solid material having greater width than height, said body having a recess formed in its upper surface, the material of said body extending across beneath said recess to form a thin bottom therefor, said body having a plurality of grooves in its upper surface extending from said recess to its outer edges, sound producing mechanism mounted within said recess and secured to the bottom thereof, a movable control lever extending from said mechanism, said lever lying within one of said grooves, and a cover secured to the top of said body covering said recess and said grooves.

ANDREW G. JACOBSON. 

